Sunday Vibes

Rocking on after retirement!

"I WOULD like to inspire the elderly to finish their journey on earth without any regrets…" Hmm, that's different, I remember thinking the morning I received the intriguing email from one Tan Chin Kiat, whose preceding words (something about being inspired by the stories produced by yours truly) certainly gave him plenty of brownie points!

So here I am, on a sweltering hot Friday afternoon, hurriedly weaving my way around the lunch-time bustle that has started to build up on the "Street" of The Curve in Petaling Jaya, eyes furtively scanning for the stranger whose aspiration to "inspire the elderly" has lured me out from the cool comfort of the office to a baking pedestrian path, in a popular Klang Valley mall.

The sight of a beaming, bespectacled man, whose sudden rise from his seat in an al fresco café nearby while waving happily in my direction, ends my search. So, this is the 62-year-old Tan who incidentally was recently made an independent director on the main board of Bursa Malaysia.

"Thank you soooo much for agreeing to meet me," he begins effusively, whilst pulling out a chair for me to park my weary derriere on. The Klang-born father-of-two is in good spirits. In fact, he's a bundle of positive energy, as I duly discover the longer we chat.

"You know, when I was younger, I lived near La Salle school in Klang, just opposite an Indian temple. Maybe that's why I have a bit of an Indian slang!" exclaims Tan, before enthusiastically sharing that he studied at an asrama (hostel school) for two years, followed by a stint at Universiti Malaya, where he pursued his first degree in economics.

Suffice it to say, within minutes of sitting down, I feel as if I'm in the company of an old friend.

ETHICS OF LIFE

"You know, as we get older, we still need to find purpose and meaning in life," muses Tan, who started his career as a credit loan officer with Arab Malaysian Finance Berhad back in 1985. His kindly eyes behind his glasses flash with pride when he proceeds to tell me just how much he enjoys writing and submitting letters and articles to newspapers.

"Making Every Moment Count During Retirement", "Spend Golden Years Wisely", and "Doing Right By The Family" are just some of his published articles, which Tan had submitted to various publications, including the New Straits Times, over the years.

His first article was in 2021. "I wrote about 10 but only five was published. I felt really good. I managed to share with the world what I had and what I could offer," he says, pride palpable in his tone.

"When I wrote my first article, the idea was that it would be a source of encouragement, which I wanted to share as a retiree. I do believe that as I get older, I need to keep myself relevant," shares Tan, who worked in Arab Malaysian Finance from 1985 to 1996.

Although he has now retired, there are no signs of him wanting to slow down — or pick up gardening. His smile is wide when he launches into his work history, weaving his tale back to sometime in 1989 when he was promoted to branch manager in Tawau, Sabah.

Then, in 1992, he was made regional manager for Perak region. "I served as the regional manager covering Sabah and Sarawak in 1994, before finally ending my long stint with Arab Malaysian in 1996," he reels off proudly.

Between 2003 and 2009, Tan was made the general manager at Malaysian Building Society Berhad, and later moved on to join Port Klang Free Zone Sdn Bhd in 2009, where he was made an assistant general manager until 2020.

"The importance of honesty, hard work and loyalty to our employers… these are the lessons that I learnt during my working years, which I consider to be very important," confides Tan when asked what values he holds dear when it comes to the work arena.

He becomes animated when launching into the need to be grateful for opportunities given to us throughout our lives, whether it's during our working life or after. Says Tan: "I like to reflect on my life sometimes, on things which have happened — or not. I've worked for 35 years and my conclusion is that this world is very fair."

Continuing passionately, he points out: "It'll never short-change us. Eventually, you'll get what you're supposed to get in life. The same in the work place. Be loyal to your employers and make sure you play your part. No free rides. Remember always that honesty is of utmost importance."

LIVING LIFE WELL

The lunchtime swell distracts him momentarily as his gaze sweeps the scene just ahead. A toddler wails his displeasure as his irate mother attempts to drag him away from his activity. Then, turning to me again, Tan continues: "I look back now… I started off with Arab Malaysian where it was instilled in us the pertinent values of loyalty, hard work, and honesty. These are the values I try to uphold as best I can, even to this day. You can't compromise on those."

Now that he's retired, Tan, who loves to journal in his free time, doesn't believe that the skids need to be put on anything. In fact, he's a huge advocate of living life to the fullest and views the "retirement age" as just a number. "I haven't stopped!" he exclaims happily, before adding that I only need to check his LinkedIn page to see that he continues to put himself out there for any potential offers of employment.

"That retirement age thing is just a number," he reiterates, before adding sagely: "It's really down to us. We must ensure that we're financially independent, be healthy and live within our means. I also believe in helping others with what I can, and the importance of creating our own opportunities."

Make a sincere effort to try, he advises. "To me, the universe is there to arrange everything, but we must put in the effort first," says Tan, who shares that he did his MBA in 1999 on a part-time basis at the then-Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) at age 30 "… because I wanted to upgrade myself." In 2006, he pursued a post-graduate diploma in Islamic Banking at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

It's also important that we renew ourselves as we get older, believes the devout Christian. "Renew in terms of our spirit, soul and body. Ageing and death are certain. That's why we have to look after our body and soul."

Then comes reconnect, adds Tan, who currently spends his weekdays helping his sister with her spare parts business. "We need to reconnect with family and friends. And then find the time to reflect on what we've done or what we've done wrong, and how can we do it better? Finally, it's important to seek forgiveness. Do you know anyone whom you might have wronged in your lifetime?"

Asked how older people or the elderly remain motivated and active, Tan replies simply: "It's the mindset." His brows furrowing, the affable Klang-ite continues: "For example, I have already retired and my children are already big and working. I don't really need to do anything. But I do. I know of people my age who no longer want to go out and meet their friends because home has become too comfortable. It takes effort to go out and socialise."

But, he adds, before proceeding to use an example of a vehicle to illustrate his point. "Take your car. If you don't start it for a month, what happens?" poses Tan, before adding: "Something will rosak. We must keep active, especially as we get older. Come out of the house and mix with people that you're comfortable with. Don't just give up on life."

Fully in his element, Tan points out that many retirees are also unwilling to downgrade and reskill. "Sometimes, they get people offering them jobs but they still want what they were earning — back in their heyday! What happens then? They end up staying at home. After a couple of years of doing that, they get too lazy to do anything. It's hard to leave the comfort zone. Some of us are more prone to look at negativity. How to rise like that?"

RISING FROM HARDSHIP

The middle child out of eight siblings, Tan, who was forced to retire at 59 during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020, hails from a humble — and challenging — background. His father was a supervisor in a timber company, while his mother devoted her life to the family and the home.

"My childhood was very tough," he recalls, before sharing: "We, the children, had to be independent and fend for ourselves because it was such a big family. Were my parents strict? No, because they were just too many of us so we had to look out for each other. The older ones would look after the younger etc. That sense of independence was instilled from young. That's why even to this day, despite being retired, I'm still driven and refuse to be idle."

Chuckling fondly, Tan, who grew up on an estate surrounded by rubber plantations, remembers that the definition of a treat back when he was a kid was a trip to the local KFC or A&W. "Those were all we had back then," he recalls, before adding: "That was the time when we'd get to eat chicken. Other times, it was porridge and we also ate the vegetables that we planted ourselves."

His favourite subject at school was accounting. "I wanted to do something with numbers," recalls Tan, smiling at the recollection, before adding: "I knew I could make money with accounting! But I didn't manage to go into accountancy, so I settled for economics. I was driven by the desire to better myself from young. I didn't want to face the challenges that my parents faced. I needed to strive."

As a child, Tan confides that he was driven by the desire to be successful. Expression earnest, he says: "I always believe that education is very important. I remember during my time back in the 1960s and '70s, we didn't have many opportunities to study. I think there was only a total of five public universities compared with what we have today."

As we both reflect quietly on how much things have changed, the sound of ominous rumbling from the distance reminds me of an impending downpour. It's been raining every day, I point out to Tan, and his head bobs in hearty agreement.

So, what else are you planning in the pipelines, I ask Tan, slowly closing my notebook and preparing to switch off the voice recorder.

"I'm starting in my church meeting-up sessions where we can share things," he replies, adding: "You know, places of worship have the facilities for you to do and organise many things. You can set up a community centre where various classes can be held."

Elaborating, he continues: "You can have sewing classes, or maybe a creche. But someone must start something. Especially in Kuala Lumpur; many parents are working and don't know where to put their children. It's expensive. These are the things I want to do. Of course, I need to get people to assist me. I want to start off on a small scale and then see it grow."

Beaming broadly, Tan concludes: "That's why I like to say that retirement age is just a number. You can continue to make life meaningful AND full — post retirement."

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